8 Comics You Should Read After ‘Riverdale’ Season 2

For some of The CW‘s viewership, tonight is a slightly sad occasion, as the second season of Riverdale officially comes to a close.

After twenty-two weeks of drama, romance, and Archie Comics-inspired craziness, the season ended with “Brave New World”, an installment that could put the upcoming third season on new footing. In between wondering exactly how Archie is going to get out of that situation, fans will probably be searching for something that satisfies their Riverdale fix.

Thankfully, ComicBook.com knows of quite a few comic series that carry on a similar blend of high school soapiness, true crime, and Archie nostalgia. Some are from Archie Comics’ various imprints, while others are from other publications, but just carry a general sort of Riverdale flavor.

So, without further ado, here are eight comics you should check out after Riverdale‘s second season.

‘Riverdale’

For starters, if you haven’t been reading the official Riverdale tie-in comic, you should absolutely change that during this hiatus.

The comic series first launched in April of last year, as a way to further expand on stories not touched on within the show. And while the series only has eleven issues thus far, it’s covered a hell of a lot of ground. While the series doesn’t always exactly address the events that are happening within the show, it focuses on a lot of standalone adventures, which fans of the show’s ensemble of characters will surely appreciate.

From the Riverdale gang being stuck in a The Breakfast Club-esque day of detention, to Reggie Mantle faking his death to get a date to prom (yes, really), there’s plenty of off-the-wall Riverdale adventures that the tie-in comics explore.

‘Betty & Veronica: Vixens’

Another equally campy Archie Comics venture – and one that should be easy to catch up on – is Betty & Veronica: Vixens.

The series, which launched late last year, puts the beloved Archie Comics female characters in a new context, as they end up forming an all-lady vigilante motorcycle gang.

The end result, which only has six issues to its name so far, is equally feminist, action-packed, and a hell of a lot of fun. So if you’re a fan of Riverdale‘s Southside Serpents – or just wish that the show had 1000% more roller derby – Vixens is the place to start.

‘The Kitchen’

If ladies kicking ass and taking names sounds right up your alley, then Vertigo’s The Kitchen is definitely worth checking out as well.

The series follows Raven, Kathy, and Angie, three wives of mobsters in 1970s New York. After their husbands are sent to prison for various crimes, the trio steps up in their place — and creates an even more complicated empire.

The Kitchen has all the mobster dealings of Hiram Lodge’s criminal venture, but with a lot more feminism and a lot less overall frustration. Plus, it’s set to be adapted into a movie in 2019, starring Tiffany Hadish, Melissa McCarthy, and Elizabeth Moss.

‘The Black Hood’

Sure, Riverdale took a season’s worth of liberties in unmasking the Black Hood. But if you’d like to find out how the hood-wearing vigilante got his start, the 2015 relaunch of the character is the place to look.

Although the Black Hood has had plenty of different evolutions over the years, this most recent relaunch focuses on Officer Greg Hettinger, a Philadelphia cop who discovers that he accidentally killed the previous Black Hood. While high on painkillers, Hettinger puts on the mask for himself — and the story gets crazier from there.

‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’

Sure, the upcoming live-action adaptation of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina isn’t planning on crossing over with Riverdale anytime soon. But there’s no reason not to catch up on the source material over Riverdale‘s summer hiatus.

The series reimagines Sabrina Spellman and her friends in a horror context, in a story that’s just as thematically and visually dark as Riverdale‘s usual aesthetic. With breathtaking visuals, subverting of tropes, and a lot of mystery, it’s definitely a must-read for those who need their Riverdale fix.

‘Gotham Academy’

And if Chilling Adventures of Sabrina doesn’t bring you enough teen drama and monsters, it sounds like Gotham Academy could absolutely be up your alley.

The DC Comics series, which was launched in 2014, follows a ragtag group of friends investigating mysteries at the titular prep school. From there, the story gets taken into plenty of adorable, and unusual, places.

Gotham Academy has just the right amount of plucky teenage antics, mystery-solving, and shady adult figures to feel like a sort of spiritual cousin to the Riverdale world. And the series accumulated 31 issues before concluding in August of 2017, making it the perfect summer binge-read.

‘My Friend Dahmer’

On the flip side, if season two’s true-crime mystery with the Black Hood left you intrigued, there’s a chance that you’d enjoy My Friend Dahmer.

The graphic novel serves as a memoir for Derf Backderf, as he chronicles his real-life high school friendship with serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. The end result was nominated for a slew of comic awards, and was recently made into a feature film (starring Chilling Adventures of Sabrina star Ross Lynch).

It might not be for the faint of heart, but My Friend Dahmer is equal parts heartbreaking, moving, and unsettling… and arguably worth checking out in any context.

‘Effigy’

Small town murder? LGBT representation? Self-depricating humor? Unpredictable storylines? As it turns out, there’s a lot that Vertigo Comics’ Effigy has in common with Riverdale.

The series follows Chondra Jackson, a former child star who is sucked into a conspiracy of murders in her small hometown. But as Chondra quickly realizes, the murders bear a resemblance to an episode of the Sailor Moon-esque show she is best known for — and there’s a hell of a lot of darkness behind that.

The series is equally bizarre and endearing, with plenty of dramatic left-turns and quippy one-liners along the way. Unfortunately, the series only ran for seven issues before being cancelled, but it’s still a pretty compelling, Riverdale-esque read.

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Riverdale‘s third season is expected to premiere in the fall of 2018.